Blog

I am proud to bursting of being a contributor to the exciting new book, When Bodies Break: How we survive and thrive with illness and disability. In it, thirty-two inspiring and resilient chronic illness warriors share their stories of struggle, strength and survival. When Bodies Break is the brainchild of Cam B. Auxer, the woman behind Pajama Daze, a website dedicated to information about chronic illness and showcasing people who live with these conditions. I interviewed Cam via email about the book and how it came to be.

Please tell us a bit about yourself and what you do on Pajama Daze.

I am a 64-year-old woman with multiple chronic conditions that have taught me to live with some limitations, but I often push the limits. Because of this, I am independent and very resilient.

Having three heart attacks in 2005, another in 2008, as well as ten years of Chronic Fatigue, challenged me more than anything ever did, and sent me into depression.  What cracked the darkness was discovering the chronic illness community online. They saved my life. I was no longer alone. One of my friends, Kari Ulrich, had conversations with me about creating an online Spoonie pajama party. Out of that vision arose my website, Pajama Daze. I realized that there were other stories to tell and started inviting others to contribute blogs, art, photographs, book reviews and more.

You’ve just released When Bodies Break, a collection of essays by people with chronic illness about living with these conditions. Please tell us about it.

The first part is comprised of 32 personal stories of people living with chronic conditions. I think this part of the book will have readers thinking “I’m not the only one!”  As raw and sad as some of the stories are, there is still a sense of resilience and hope that shines through every one of them. That is the yellow umbrella on the cover. That is what heals our hearts and minds when our bodies can’t be healed.

In part 2, we share our experiences and the wisdom we have gained when it comes to dealing with a new diagnosis, navigating the health care system, self-care, becoming an advocate for ourselves, emotional adjustments, finding joy and balance, creating a new life and how we can help others. Our appendix, The Take-Charge Patient’s Tool Kit, is a great way to keep your health information organized and prepare for doctor visits.

Between the covers of this book is one of the best support groups you will ever find. Many of contributors have been part of my chronic illness community for years and they have been very supportive to me.  This book and the donation of its profits to autoimmune research at Benaroya Research Institute are my way of giving back.

What gave you the idea for the book and what does it mean to you?

The book started out as a compilation of all the great material that had been guest-blogged on my website, Pajama Daze.  Some material was rewritten to be fresher and new material was included. It isn’t the book it started out to be, but much edgier and deeper.

It took three years to create the book and through that time, you had some serious challenges in your life. What kept you going?

There were some nightmares happening in the past few years, with caregiving for my father to his death in 2016, losing my apartment, lots of old and new health issues cropping up, moving twice and my sister’s suicide because she couldn’t get the pain medications that she so desperately needed. Then a diagnosis of breast cancer to put the icing on the cake. And of course, many of the contributors had health and disruptive life issues, as well.

We all struggled through it and created a book. We are a testimony to the resilience that we have learned from life with chronic illness. The one thing that pushed me the hardest is that I made a promise to all the people who agreed to be part of this book: a book that would tell their story.

What’s next for you?

Lots and lots of rest. And a little fun. I have projects that I want to dive into, including my family tree and sorting out a trunk full of photographs and good memories. I am also learning to play the bowed psaltery, which I hope to master (it really isn’t hard), and do more travel as money, time and health permit. And eventually, I would like to develop my Reiki practice again and officiate a few weddings.

I want to do things that bring me joy. None of us knows how long we’ve got, and one thing I have learned so well is that life is incredibly short. I don’t want to waste it on things that stress or upset me. I moved to a wonderful town full of creative energy, close to my family and good health care. Best decision I ever made.

When Bodies Break: How we survive and thrive with illness and disability is available on Amazon in paperback. An ebook version is in the works.